How Everett Handles Outdoor Lighting: A Practical Guide
Everett maintains 131 local ordinances across all categories, and 3 of those deal specifically with outdoor lighting. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Everett falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.
Billboard Lighting
Everett requires billboard lighting to be shielded so it doesn't affect nearby homes or drivers, bans blinking and flashing lights, and caps exposed bulbs at fifteen watts.
Key details: Governing section: EMC 16.20.050(E). Wattage cap: 15 watts, exposed bulbs. Blinking/flashing: Prohibited on billboards. Residential spillover: Light can't shine into homes. Enforcement: Building official, Ch. 1.20 EMC.
Violations fall under the billboard permit and enforcement scheme in EMC 16.20.080, which can void or revoke the sign permit and, per Chapter 1.20 EMC, subject the owner to code-enforcement penalties.
Dark Sky Rules
Inside Everett's Central Waterfront Planning Area, in the Light Industrial and Heavy Industrial zones, site lighting must meet dark-sky standards under Everett Municipal Code 19.09.310(C): capped foot-candle levels, full cut-off fixtures, and a ban on light trespass past the property line.
Key details: Applies to: LI/HI zones, Central Waterfront Planning Area only. Minimum lighting: 0.5 foot-candle, public areas. Maximum lighting: 4 foot-candles, high-traffic areas. Fixture mounting cap: 30 feet, full cut-off, dark-sky rated. Wall-mounted lot lighting: Prohibited outright.
Noncompliant lighting plans are held at permit review and won't clear submittal until they meet the foot-candle and fixture specs. Built-out violations run through Chapter 1.20 EMC, Everett's citywide code enforcement chapter covering Title 19: a code enforcement officer can issue a notice and order, and unresolved violations accrue a $250-per-violation, per-day civil penalty (rising to $500 per day for repeat violators) until the fixtures are brought into compliance.
Light Trespass & Shielding
Everett requires parking-area security lighting to use full cut-off, dark-sky-rated fixtures mounted no higher than thirty feet, with light kept off adjacent private property.
Key details: Fixture type: Full cut-off, dark-sky rated. Max height: 30 feet above ground. Trigger: 9+ residential spaces or any nonresidential. Spillover: No light onto adjacent parcels.
Installing unshielded or floodlight-style parking lot fixtures, mounting lights above thirty feet, or letting light spill onto a neighboring parcel violates EMC 19.34.120(F) parking illumination standards.
The Bottom Line
Everett's outdoor lighting rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Everett is broadly strict or permissive.
These rules come from Everett's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.